Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is perhaps one of the most important Catholic churches of the capital. It was designed by Henry Medd, whose architectural plan was selected by a jury consisting of Sir Edwin Lutyens and Father Luke among others. These two men were mainly responsible for the construction of this beautiful cathedral.

The foundation stone was laid in 1929 by Rev Dr E Vanni, Archbishop of Agra. The church was completed and opened to public in just four years. The church’s main altar was donated by Sir Anthony de Mello, while the Archbishop of Agra offered the bell, vestments and altar furniture. Many colonial officers of the British Empire also extended monetary assistance.

During Christmas, you can attend the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Christmas vigil service.

The silver cross here has been donated by Lord Irwin. He
also donated a picture, which you can see in the eastern
end. The donation is believed to be an expression of his
gratitude for God's grace, when he narrowly escaped an
attempt to blow up his train in 1929. This was the same
year when Bhagat Singh et al. threw a bomb inside the
Central Legislative Assembly.